Mongolia is the land of Genghis Khan, the least populated country on Earth, with vast pristine landscapes of untouched beauty and wilderness since medieval times, when the Mongols ruled parts of China, Russia, Persia, Iraq as well as the grasslands of Mongolia on horseback.

Today, it is still the most equestrian nation on Earth, home to a rich cultural heritage and the nomadic herdsmen way of life, with about 30 percent of the entire population still living in yurts and herding livestock such as cashmere goats, sheep, horses, yaks and camels.

Our guest speaker is Jan Wigsten, an intrepid Swede who has traversed all corners of this fascinating country, including the remote Altai Mountains border zones. Listen to stories about his private ‘off-grid’ travels and how such expedition-style journeys can be done in an authentic, yet comfortable way while keeping a certain level of luxury. Imagine waking up in your private yurt camp to a 360° view of pristine landscapes untouched by human development and experiencing the true hospitality of the Mongolian nomads.

JAN WIGSTEN MONGOLIA EXPEDITION TRAVEL EXPERT

Jan Wigsten is no stranger to Mongolia, having travelled professionally around the region since 1980, curating experiences for fly fishing, snow leopard expeditions, horse riding safaris. His key focus, however, has been adapting the traditional yurt allowing for mobility, privacy and five-star camping experiences for exclusive wilderness journeys, yet retaining an authenticity of the lodging.

In 2012, Jan was awarded the Friendship Medal by President Elbegdorj on the very first Mongolian state visit to Sweden, for his contribution to conservation and tourism in Mongolia, Jan was also involved as a consultant for conservation/tourism and rural development projects around South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Scandinavia and Asia, and is currently an advisor to UNDP Mongolia, the Mongolian government and the Sustainable Tourism Development Center to focus on the nomadic culture in tourism post-covid. Singaporeans may also find him familiar as Jan and his camps were featured on the CNA (Channel News Asia) sustainable tourism series “In Pursuit of Magic” a few years back.